Project, Objectives and Preparation

Saturday 26 December 2009
popularity : 93%

Here was our project : cultural exchange and solidarity with young Palestinians living in Aida refugee camp (near Bethlehem), who take part in the socio-cultural activities organised by Al-Rowwad Association.

Our primary objective was to experience a trip at the opposite of a consumption tourism, which required a social, cultural and intellectual involvement with the idea of discovering a different cultrure and sharing the everyday life of the people, bringing into play values of peace and solidarity through developing a creative socio-cultural project (producing an eyewitness testimony in the form of a web-site and a docu-film), becoming aware of the complex reality of the israelo-palestinian conflict and, of course, experiencing self-managed group-life.

Such a trip required serious preparation. We took part in different kinds of activities such as :

training workshops about the history of the conflict and its consquences on the everyday life of the Palestinians(partners : Marianne Blume et Nadia Farkh (ABP), Henri Wajnblum (UPJB)

meetings with friends and acquaintances who have travelled to and in Palestine : Martine, (volunteer in Aïda camp for 5 years), Marianne Blume, (who taught French in Gaza for 10 years), Jean-François (photographer) et Saïf (member of a NGO working on food safety and decent work)